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Fisher began the conversation with Foles by saying he just wanted to touch base with him. The coach seemed amicable enough.

It was Fisher, after all, who wanted Foles badly enough that he traded for him, sending quarterback Sam Bradford a draft pick in 2015 to the Eagles. But Foles struggled in his only season with the Rams, going 4-7 with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions, and earning a seat on the bench.

It was a harsh reality, one that made Foles consider giving up football.

He never did, and now here he is — 60 minutes away from starting in the Super Bowl.

Foles is only half the story. The other half is Case Keenum, who became the starter for the Rams after Foles was released and is now leading the Minnesota Vikings offense.

One of them will be in the Super Bowl. Which one will be determined Sunday night when the Eagles host the Vikings in the NFC Championship Game.

“I know this is what all you guys predicted back in the day … a Foles-Keenum championship, so good job to all you guys that predicted that,” said Keenum, chiding reporters during a news conference earlier this week.

Uh, not exactly.

“It’s pretty wild, absolutely,” said Foles. “We were on the same team not too many years ago. I’ve said over and over again, Case’s success and the way he plays doesn’t surprise me, because him and I were together and we prepared together. We were around each other every day. But I think the big message there is no matter what happens, you’ve just got to keep believing in yourself, keep working hard and just never give up.”

Foles nearly walked away. Right after Fisher released him, he contemplated retiring from football at the age of 26.

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“I talked a lot to my wife, and I remember just saying a prayer — I literally said a prayer, and like I said, my heart said, ‘Go back,’” said Foles. “At that moment, it was going to back to play for Coach Reid, and when I did, you know, I am a better person because of that decision. It wasn’t an easy decision. It’s not like it was 100 percent, but my faith and my guidance and the way I felt like going into that experience allowed me to grow to make me a better player now because you experience those emotions, you go through that.”

Both quarterbacks have big challenges ahead — the Vikings were No. 1 in total defense this season, while the Eagles were No. 4.

Still, it is a fascinating matchup because neither Foles nor Keenum was a starter at the beginning of the season. Carson Wentz, of course, was the Eagles’ quarterback and having an MVP-caliber season until he tore his ACL on Dec. 10.

The man whom Wentz replaced in Philadelphia last season, Sam Bradford, had the Vikings 1-0 before another knee injury forced him to the sideline not once, but twice.

Now, Foles and Keenum, former teammates and longtime backups, carry the weight of two cities that have never won a Super Bowl.

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